Use of disposable utensils in Israel could drop by 40% under a new plan promoted Monday by Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman and Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg.
In the last decade, the rate of consumption of disposable utensils in Israel has doubled, their ministries said in a joint press release. Under the new framework, a purchase tax will be imposed on local imports and production based on the weight of the products.
The purchase tax will be similar in nature to that imposed on cigarettes and alcoholic beverages.
The annual household consumption of disposable plastic products is about 7.5 kg. per capita, five times more than in the European Union, the ministries said. Israeli households spend about NIS 1.3 billion on disposable utensils.
The decision is based on a study by the Environmental Protection Ministry that found doubling the price to the consumer would reduce usage by about 40%. The exact amount of the tax will be determined later, while examining a variety of considerations of the Israel Tax Authority.
The tax will be levied on cups, plates, bowls, cutlery and straws. Bottles are treated under the Deposit Act, and packaging is legislated under the Packaging Act.
Disposable plastic utensils cause significant environmental damage that can linger for thousands of years, and their negative effects on public health are known. Their waste takes up increasing space in landfills, leads to increased garbage removal costs, pollution of the sea, open spaces and public spaces and establishes dependence on polluting fossil fuels from which plastic is made, the ministries said.
Finance Ministry workers have already been instructed not to use disposable utensils in the office anymore, Liberman said.
“Like cigarettes and alcohol, disposable plastic is an addiction,” Zandberg said. “We are drowning in disposable plastic, and we all see its problematic effect on the cleanliness of the land and our quality of life. That will bear the most significant cost of the damage. The disposable plastic production is based on polluting fuels and has a negative impact on the climate crisis as well. I call on everyone to move to reusable tools for the health and environment of us all.”